This audio is part of the collection: Old Time Radio
It also belongs to collection: Radio Programs

Keywords: Grand Old Opry; OTR

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Reviewer: nightkey5 - - August 20, 2009
Subject: correct date
GrandOldOpry_Mammys_Little_Baby.mp3 was 49-11-12 First Song - Shortnin' Bread

Reviewer: KS67063 - - August 11, 2009
Subject: Hank Locklin
That's Hank Locklin sing "Flying South" in the third show.

Reviewer: Razzilla - - August 9, 2009
Subject: errors
GrandOldOpryTime_wRedFoley_Jive_County-Tennessee2.mp3

Should be GILES County...

GrandOldOpry_1965-00-00_Summers_Gone-Winters_a_Comin.mp3

The earliest possible date is March 1963 and the song is Flying South...

GrandOldOpry_1965-00-00_TheresARoomInTheCorner.mp3

On this one the song is That Room In the Corner In the House...

Reviewer: johnmmc - - August 1, 2009
Subject: Opry revisited
The first, second, and fourth of these Opry programs are vintage, post WWII Grand Old Opry with Red Foley as emcee. That's when electric guitars, including the non-pedal, Hawaiian-style steel, found their way onto a stage where only acoustic instruments had been allowed before.

The fourth is a bit scratchy but well worth listening to, especially because it includes the late Hank Williams and his Drifting Cowboys singing "You're Gonna Change, Or I'm Gonna Leave."

The third one, dated 1965, reveals much of what changed (pedal steel, drums, and louder lead electrics) and what did not — such as the usual corny but funny medicine show-like humor. Bear in mind that the Opry's radio shows were scripted, unlike the spontaneous, sometimes improvised ones that were presented onstage at the old Ryman Auditorium.

These broadcasts are real country. What they call "country" these days is not worthy of the name and neither is the pop stuff played today at Opryland.

If anyone has other early Opry broadcasts to share with IA, I wish they would. These artists and sounds are forever lost.